Underestimating gender-based violence in care: the silent burden of informal female caregiving

Abstract

Informal female caregiving remains a deeply gendered phenomenon, embedded in cultural norms that perpetuate systemic violence against women. In Italy, caregiving continues  to fall predominantly on women and is often framed as a moral duty rather than recognised as labour (Hochschild 1983). Drawing on Amartya Sen’s (1993) capability approach, this study explores how informal caregiving, frequently imposed rather than chosen, affects women's well-being and sustains patriarchal structures.  Specifically, it addresses the following research question: How do culturally embedded expectations regarding the caregiving role shape informal female caregivers’ self-perceptions and contribute to forms of systemic micro-violence?

Using qualitative semi-structured interviews with informal female caregivers of people with Parkinson’s disease (n=25), the research identifies three caregiving configurations emerging from the intersection of attitudes, behaviours, and role expressions: “I am, therefore I care”, “I love, therefore I care”, and “I must, therefore I care”. These types reveal the continuum between agency and coercion that shapes women’s caregiving experiences.

The findings highlight two intertwined forms of violence: symbolic violence, which normalises caregiving as an inherent female duty, and structural violence, rooted in institutional neglect and inadequate welfare support.

By linking empirical insights to theoretical frameworks, the study demonstrates that informal caregiving operates as a subtle yet pervasive form of gender-based violence, sustained by cultural expectations and policy silence. It calls for a gender-sensitive welfare model capable of dismantling patriarchal norms, enhancing caregivers’ capabilities, and promoting caregiving as a shared social responsibility rather than a naturalised female obligation.